#AuctionEMER - Cork Auctioneer Dominic Daly is to handle the sale of the decommissioned Naval Service OPV L.E. Emer (P21) which is to be put up for public auction in a month's time, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The auctioneer is to host the public auction in the Carrigaline Court Hotel, Carrigaline on the southern outskirts of Cork City at 12 noon on Wednesday 23 October. The vessel unless previously sold is on view as seen in Cork Harbour. See advert here.

L.E. Emer was the second of four coastal patrol vessels (CPV). They were later re-classified as offshore patrol vessels (OPV). The  original leadship, L.E. Deirdre (P20) was decommissioned in 2001 and sold for €190,000. She was converted into a luxury yacht.

In disposing the 35 year old OPV, potentially interested parties could come from a variety of sources and for the following purposes including the conversion for the super-yacht market or as use as an offshore energy supply or a research vessel.

According to the auctioneer's website, a sister of L.E. Emer, the L.E. Aoife (P22) will also go on the market in 12 months time. The two Irish-built vessels were launched at Verolme Cork Dockyard in 1978 and 1980 respectively.

L.E. Emer's keel was laid in March 1977 and six month later she was launched. Her hand-over to the Naval Service took place in January 1978.

Workers spent 26 weeks on the vessel while on the slipway stocks and a further 15 weeks were carried out involving outfitting. Combined, the construction period totalled 280,077 hours and the they say the rest is history in a career that saw her clock up approximately 518,000 miles.

L.E. Emer and L.E. Aoife are to be replaced by a pair of OPV newbuilds currently under construction in a north Devon shipyard.

As previously reported, the PV90 design or enhanced 'Roisin' class are to cost €49m each in a contract that was awarded to Babcock Marine with the first steel cut in May last year which led to the first newbuild L.E. Samuel Beckett which is due to be floated-out next month.

It is understood she is to be delivered next year and followed by second vessel, L.E. James Joyce with a delivery in 2015.